right now I really am dealing with some bad burn out. I was chatting with some other indies, one of them said:

you've just had a pretty intense year with 5 release so probably you are a little bit drained. I am always drained after a new release, often for a few months!

So perhaps is just "normal" what's happening

Doesn't help that I'm coding myself the new "Undead Lily pokemon style", but it's fine, since obviously I prefer if Anima works on the last deatails of Amber crafting and the new RPG system. But in future I think I'll stop coding my own stuff, and use a ready made systems (like the RPG system I used several times) since it's much easier to modify something already working, than doing something from scratch.

So the future games will depend mostly on what I have available. I don't mind doing some stat raising, simulations or strategy (small stuff) since those aren't so bad to code (like Spirited Heart or Always Remember Me). But more complex stuff like RPG system, nope! I don't want to end up like one of those mad scientist that lost their mind because of overworking

I think your issue is you're doing a lot of custom-gameplay games in a row. Yeah you had some VNs in 2016, but you also had PSCD, QoT, and are working on Amber, Undead Lily, and soon PS2 - all of which are coding-intensive games. Looking at your upcoming list, I think you had one VN/dating sim (Love Bites) close to completion and the rest are far off.

While I like that you change up the gameplay to keep it fresh, I think you could spread out the coding-intensive games a bit more (even though it'll delay PS2 again ) so you don't burnout so quick. I mean, you went from QoT right into Amber and are designing UL, all without much of a break. Maybe start working on some more simpler VN games to let you cool off now and then?

(I wrote this before reading the blog post, but it sounds like you mostly agree?)

Troyen wrote:(I wrote this before reading the blog post, but it sounds like you mostly agree?)

Yes, it's clearly that. No sane person can make 5 games in a year (of which 2 were quite custom like PSCD and QoT). And in 2016 I also coded a good amount of Amber as you said (250 recipes, testing the crafting... insane).
The thing is that I wrote that blog 3-4 days ago. Now in last 2 days, when I am struggling to find a gameplay for UL, things have been much worse. I know how to code but just thinking about coding some custom stuff from scratch... UGH. It's hard to explain, is like if my brain can't handle it
At the same time I've been doing some storyboarding for some other game ideas, and have no problem about that.
So it's not a creative crisis for sure, I keep having ideas. But it's really hard for me to code/design stuff (it's the most brain-consuming activity).

That's why I half joked said I'd make fanservice games. Doing some simple VNs between bigger project it will become a necessity in future I think. I know I said I would have done some "other games" between my usual games, but I don't know how I could think about doing that - coding custom stuff, between the various games? My head would explode

Well, you can do five games in a year, just not five Jack-sized custom games. (It was kind of crazy when you suggested 1000 recipes for Amber. That's about as many as an entire MMO profession team develops for an expansion.)

In my experience, it's hard to force yourself to do coding/design once you're tired of it. I always have to do something else for a few days/weeks/months or else it's a constant struggle. I'd suggest taking a break and working on something lighter and easier for a while. (I'm still burned out from the SotW beta!)

Troyen wrote:Well, you can do five games in a year, just not five Jack-sized custom games.

Haha true. I constantly look at my friend Hanako's games and I often think: WHY I didn't do such a simpler, but still fun and "complex enough" gameplay?? Instead, I find myself doing RPGs with 100+ skills/enemies/isometric map and getting burned out

Troyen wrote:In my experience, it's hard to force yourself to do coding/design once you're tired of it. I always have to do something else for a few days/weeks/months or else it's a constant struggle. I'd suggest taking a break and working on something lighter and easier for a while. (I'm still burned out from the SotW beta!)

Yes I know. I took a few days off during Christmas but probably wasn't enough, since as soon as I resumed working, I felt burned out immediately.
And I am still having nightmares about SOTW beta !

I now will do what I feel right in each specific moment, because for example I was kind of forced to work on UL since so many people want it. I want to release it obviously, but if right now my brain cannot handle it, it's pointless to try, and I can just design some simpler games meanwhile, to not lose time.

pahldus wrote:Honestly unless you want to make shorter and cheaper games, you are probably better off making 3 games a year max. It will honestly help sales too, as people only have so much disposable income.

No I don't want to make shorter games for sure! Last year I made 5, but we can all agree that they weren't short. The shorter (in term of wordcount) was Never Forget Me with almost 90k words
Also last year made 5 because both PSCD and QoT were "in part" done in 2015. So yes, as you say, 3 games a year max seems a good amount, otherwise could lose quality (and I don't want that).
I meant making games in a smarter way regarding gameplay - still interesting, but not too complex. And definitely not code myself anything from scratch!

BobTheMob wrote:Will we ever see games written by you again, Jack?

The original SH, PS, and especially BH were all masterpieces.

Thank you! The original BH is one of the games with highest rating on Steam, DESPITE the poor voice acting and my terrible writing! haha
I don't think I'll ever directly WRITE myself a game again - but the storyboard, yes. It happened with Never Forget Me, and it's happening now again with another unannounced fantasy game

Today I decided to pause a few projects (all "secret" unannounced stuff) since I was clearly overdoing it! I'll focus on fewer titles from now on. Also much depends on the external collaborators. To do some more complex games like RPGs with both genders, a high knowledge of Ren'Py is a must, otherwise I end up spending too much time fixing the script myself, and I get burned out

Well also remember that in most cases I really cannot decide how many I release myself. If a game is ready, I think it's pointless to delay it on purpose: if someone is interested, even if cannot buy it immediately, can always buy it later.
But I'm not "rushing" out games anymore for sure. Not that this happened last year either: of the 5 games out, only PSCD was started the previous year. All other games were in the works since at least 2 years